ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Friday was the first series-opening loss of the season for UMD after 11 straight wins. I probably didn’t need to tell you that.
There were Fridays along the way where the Bulldogs were far from perfect, where maybe the scoreline didn’t necessarily reflect the way the game went, but the result was a dub, and you don’t apologize for those.
This particular Friday game, however, was pear-shaped almost from the start. Adam Gajan couldn’t find a Noah Urness shot from the left-wing boards (on the big sheet, so even more of a distance than usual) not seven minutes into the game.
Speaking to Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune after the game, UMD coach Scott Sandelin was blunt in his assessment of the play, calling it a “bad goal” and saying “we need better goaltending.”
With how things unraveled in this game, a game where it felt like every really good St. Cloud State scoring chance found the back of the net (that is not the case, but it sure did feel like it), it’s not a surprise that sophomore Ethan Dahlmeir will start an NCHC game for UMD for the first time.
We’ve talked about how he’s going to be the guy when Gajan goes to the Olympics, but one has to assume Sandelin would rather see Gajan get on a heater here before he leaves for Italy. This isn’t the way the coaches wanted to get Dahlmeir more games, even if it had become the plan of sorts before the Games begin next month.
But there’s no question UMD’s goaltending and defensive play need to improve.
(I thought they were pretty leaky on defense last weekend against Lindenwood. Oddly enough, I didn’t feel the same about Friday’s game here.)
What’s hard to ignore is the downturn in goals allowed versus expected goals. Again, going off CHN’s numbers as we have all season, UMD allowed 35 goals on 44.9 expected goals across its first 19 games of the season. In four games since, the Bulldogs have conceded 19 times on 11.2 expected goals. Included in that are UMD’s two worst games of the season in terms of goals allowed versus expected. Dec. 13 against Arizona State, UMD allowed six goals on 2.9 expected. Friday, UMD allowed six on 2.4 expected.
(To be fair: Expected goals is not a perfect stat, and the true accuracy of it can vary from building to building.)
Friday night wasn’t all on Gajan. UMD didn’t do a good job of getting to the net front offensively, missing out on a few rebound chances left by SCSU goalie Yan Shostak, who was only asked to make the first save way too often in the game. I didn’t think UMD did a good job using the wide ice surface to get the Huskies spread out, and as I mentioned during the broadcast, I thought the power play was too deliberate with puck movement and not direct enough to the goal. None of that involves tactical changes, simply some reminders that I’m sure were well-covered in the morning video session.
A few changes for UMD, starting with Dahlmeir in goal. Personnel on the back end stay the same with Grayden Siepmann still out and not on the trip. Daniel Shlaine draws back in up front, but he’ll do so as a winger, replacing Ryan Zaremba in the lineup.
Ethan Dahlmeir vs Yan Shostak.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD forwards
Plante (Max) – Plante (Zam) – Shaugabay
Truman – Gaffney – Anderson
Shlaine – Arnott – Bentz
Bibby – Kovich – Bechen
UMD defense
Cleveland – Hanson
Pionk – Kleber
Toll – Pierce
Bodnarchuk
UMD goalies
Dahlmeir – Gajan – Sheffield
St. Cloud State forwards
Ahcan – Gross – Burnevik
Hall – Miettinen – Thoreson
Urness – Roed – Gardner
AuCoin – Rosborough – Reimann
St. Cloud State defense
Wylie – Smolinski
Loftus – Reiners
Belisle – Zinger
Byfuglien
St. Cloud State goalies
Shostak – Berzins – Gray
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